George Foreman in Zaire

Writing Workshop

Workshop Title: Defeat

Step 1

Ask your students, “What sports loss or defeat do you remember the most? You don’t need to pull from your own personal experiences, but something you’ve heard about or witnessed. Why was this moment so memorable?”

Step 2

Read “George Foreman in Zaire” by Jack B. Bedell. When you’re done reading, briefly discuss the nature of George Foreman’s loss, as was depicted by Bedell. What made this defeat so significant and/or memorable?

Step 3

Say, “Choose a significant and/or memorable loss, defeat, upset, etc. Then write down all of the elements that made that defeat so noteworthy. What led up to that “groundbreaking” moment? Write down as much as you can.” Then give your students a few minutes to brainstorm.

Step 4

Have your students compose a poem similar in sentiment to “George Foreman in Zaire” in which they describe or recount a significant defeat, loss, upset, etc.

Step 5

When the students are done, have them share their responses with one another.

The full presentation may be found HERE.

Analytical Lesson

Area of Focus: Structure

Step 1

If your students are not familiar with the general concept of a poem’s “structure,” go through the introductory lesson.

Step 2

Start by showing your students the following video to give them a bit of context to the piece.

Step 3

When the video is done, ask your students to discuss the colossal significance of that fight. Why was it so significant? Briefly discuss.

Step 4

Now read the first stanza of “George Foreman in Zaire” by Jack B. Bedell. When you’re done reading, ask your students to simply discuss the style of the writing. What do they notice? What stands out? And how does the style contribute to a portrayal of Foreman and that fight?

Step 5

Now read the second stanza of the poem. Ask your students to not only discuss the writing, but also the stylistic differences between this stanza and the first one? How are they differently constructed? And what effect does that have on the portrayal of Foreman?

Step 6

Have your students open the following document and go over the instructions with them. In this assignment, your students will pair literary/poetic elements from the first and second halves of the text and discuss the function of said pairing to arrive at a more nuanced understanding of the piece and its structure. Once you’ve gone over the instructions, give your students time to work.

Step 7

When your students are done, have them share their responses with the rest of the class.

Step 8

If time permits, share the exemplar essay.